Hot Sauce Depot’s annual scholarship for Texas students has an additional mission this year: To raise awareness for suicide prevention, bullying and mental health. May 4 is International Anti-Bullying Day, which was instituted to prevent further bullying and teach children how to identify and safely stand up to bullying behavior. Statistics show that approximately 1 in 5 American students in grades 9-12 experience bullying. Bullying affects children all over the world, and it is one of the top reasons of suicide among students and children.

About Madison’s Rae of Hope

Hot Sauce Depot chose to partner with Madison’s Rae of Hope for this year’s scholarship. Madison’s Rae of Hope is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that was founded in loving memory of Madison, a teen who suffered a fatal depression from bullying with ultimately led to her suicide in 2015. The owners of Hot Sauce Depot, Rick and Dawn, were very close with Madison’s family and knew her personally. Madison’s Rae of Hope was created by Madison’s parents, Jeff and Jerri Torres, with the goal or providing education on, resources for, and awareness of bullying, depression, and suicide prevention.

Scholarship Details

The scholarship is a private scholarship that will be directly rewarded to a student who is currently accepted to or enrolled in an accredited Texas university, college, or technical school. The deadline to apply is November 30, 2018, and the scholarship will be awarded to one student in January 2019. All applicants will be notified whether they have received the scholarship or not at that time.

To be eligible to apply, students must have or maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher; be currently accepted to or enrolled in an accredited Texas university, college, or technical school for the 2018-2019 school year; and be a U.S. citizen or legal resident. Additionally, eligible students must write a brief essay that expresses the importance of increasing awareness of suicide prevention and mental health.

For additional details on the scholarship, including the application and how to apply online,
click here.